


my baby loves to talk

by neverwantedtodance



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 02:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12159867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverwantedtodance/pseuds/neverwantedtodance
Summary: Chika's three end of summer essentials: sunshine, lemonade, and Italian lessons with Mari.





	my baby loves to talk

**Author's Note:**

> autumn begun yesterday but let's see how many more end of summer fics i can churn out
> 
> chikamari are a rarepair with no content, and yet ,,,, i love them
> 
> as always, italics when mari's speaking are for english & italian
> 
> i hope you enjoy!!

“It’s bitter!” Chika exclaims, scrunching up her nose and setting the can down on the glass tabletop with a resounding sound. It’s a testimony to the wealth of the Ohara family that Mari doesn’t even bat an eye while Chika checks desperately, hoping she hasn’t damaged it. Instead, she laughs at the other girl. Her light giggle makes Chika blush. Mari never laughs in a mean way, but as if everything is so wonderful and amusing she can’t help but laugh. It’s a laugh that makes Chika feel as if summer can go on forever.

“Of course it’s bitter, it’s the best _limonata_ from Sicily,” Mari says. Sicily’s so far away Chika can barely picture it on a map. Everything about Mari’s lifestyle seems so extravagant to her, the girl who’s barely left her home town in the sixteen years she’s been alive.

“Do you like it?” Mari continues speaking, drawing Chika out of her daydream.

She looks at the neat yellow and white label on the can. She can’t understand the posh, looped writing, but it reminds her of something from a dream.

She shades her eyes against the sun. “I guess so,” she says lightly. Sitting on the balcony jutting out from Mari’s bedroom, spending her last summer days indulging in expensive lemonade and watching the sun set isn’t the worst way to spend her time.

Mari hums slightly and tunelessly. “You’d think someone who likes mikan so much would like this.”

“I do like it!” Chika protests, and Mari chuckles again, taking a sip from her own can. Chika watches her tanned arms and fingers, the golden rings and bracelets glinting in the afternoon sun. Mari is like a goddess, really, who swept into Chika’s life and mixed everything up, saving her. Chika feels like Mari’s a sun in her own right.

“Wait ‘til you’re older, then we can try _Prosecco_ ,” Mari says. It sounds expensive, just like everything Mari lets Chika try with a wave of her hand and a ‘no problem’ when Chika tries to pay Mari back. The Italian rolls off Mari’s tongue so easily. Chika finds her eyes drifting to Mari’s lips more often than not lately.

“Teach me more Italian?” she asks.

Mari takes a toothpick and spears an olive from the dish on the table, popping it in her mouth. They’re pitted, and Chika’s over the moon, because watching Mari pick out the pits and suck the juice from her fingers was driving her mad.

“Tell me what you know so far, _caramellino_.”

“ _C-ciao, piacere di conoscerti_ ,” Chika stumbles, remembering lessons from previous sunny days spent in much the same way as today. She blushes as she remembers what Mari taught her next. “ _Sei bellissima_.”

“I think you’re _beautiful_ too.” Mari grins her cat’s smile. “Your pronunciation is getting really good!”

“You think so?” Chika asks hopefully.

“I know so!”

“Alright!” Chika exclaims triumphantly, taking a sip from her drink before she can remember its bitter taste. She manages to wipe the grimace from her face, but not before Mari notices.

“Ah, all _sweet_ things come with a _bitter_ aftertaste.” Mari sighs, staring out at the ocean.

Chika stares at her. Sometimes Mari does this - looks into the distance like she’s an the heroine of a manga. Chika thought she was just being dramatic at first, but there’s always a sadness hidden behind Mari’s eyes, a sadness she wants to get rid of.

She eats an olive to distract herself, wishing she could be useful and comfort Mari. But she has no idea how to even start. Sometimes Mari seems so far away, untouchable.

Mari snaps back to reality soon enough. When she notices Chika watching her, she flashes her a genuine smile. It seems to say: _don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine_. It makes Chika’s heart warm. If she can’t help Mari with her words, she hopes her presence alone can do the job.

“What else do you want to know?” Mari asks her, playing with her jewelry.

Chika thinks for a while, before an idea comes into her head. She smiles to herself and pretends to think hard again.

“Hmmm … How about ‘I like you’?”

It’s Mari’s turn to blush, her cheeks dusted with light pink, though she does her best to ignore it.

“ _Mi piaci_ ,” Mari says, winking at Chika. “Who are you planning on confessing to in Italian?”

Chika grins. “I’ve got a girl in mind.”

Mari leans forward in her chair. They both have stupidly happy grins on their faces as they continue with the game.

“What’s she like? _Tall? Short?_ Brown or black hair?” Mari interrogates her.

Chika taps her fingers against the tabletop. “Blonde and tall. She’s like no one I’ve ever met before.” At the end of this, she giggles. She can never keep up the charade for long. To her, there are no other girls but Mari.

Mari pouts. “Lucky girl. I bet she’s prettier than me.”

Chika laughs again. “No one’s prettier than you. Have I stroked your ego enough yet?”

“Don’t be cheeky,” Mari says. “And yes, you have. I await your _loving confession_!” She thrusts her arms on the air and closes her eyes. After a few seconds, she opens one, impatient.

Chika rushes to remember what Mari said earlier. “M-mi piane?”

Mari shrugs. “Close enough, _cara_.”

“Maybe you should say it again,” Chika says, and Mari stares at her. “Refresh my memory.”

Mari stands up, coming over to Chika’s chair. She leans in close so her lips are touching Chika’s ear. Her perfume smells like lavender and pomegranate and _money_. Chika’s becoming slightly intoxicated.

“ _Mi piaci_ ,” Mari whispers in her ear, and Chika sighs before she can stop herself. Mari plants a kiss on her cheek. There’ll be a bright cherry red lipstick stain there, but for now she can’t find it in herself to worry about that.

“I like you too,” Chika replies breathily, and Mari sits in her lap. Chika twirls a piece of golden hair around her finger.

“How about this one? _Ti penso ogni giorno_ ,” Mari says, brushing her thumb against Chika’s cheek. Her hand trails down, and she traces Chika’s lips.

“What does that mean?” Chika asks, enchanted by the feel of Mari’s body against hers.

Mari bends down once again. “I’ll tell you later,” she murmurs, her lips meeting Chika’s in a passionate kiss.

Chika hasn’t had the chance to say she wants to spend all her summers like this, but she puts everything she’s ever felt around Mari into her kisses, and hopes the other girl understands.

When Mari pulls back and Chika sees the desire in her eyes, she knows her message got across.

“ _Mi piaci_ ,” Chika says, and Mari smiles down at her.

“Say it again.”

Chika says it again, and many more times as the sun goes down and summer slips away.

**Author's Note:**

> here's the italian translations:  
> limonata: lemonade  
> prosecco: an italian white wine  
> caramellino: little caramel, it's an italian pet name  
> ciao, piacere di conoscerti: hello, nice to meet you  
> sei bellissima: you're beautiful  
> cara: dear  
> ti penso ogni giorno: i think of you every day
> 
> i hope everybody enjoyed this fic!! if you did please leave kudos & comments bc i really love and appreciate feedback on my work :)


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